CONSERVATIONISTS have been left heartbroken after the big cat that overcame appalling adversity as a youngster died after being hurt during a hunting foray.

Amazingly, Sibella had defied the laws of nature to still be chasing prey at the grand old age of 14, especially when she almost never made it past her second year after being treated appallingly by hunters.

In her final hunt, she was left with a gaping hole in her abdomen after trying to catch a duiker, a small type of antelope. Despite the best effort of a vet, she died a few hours after being wounded.

SAMARA

Sibella raised 20 cubs during her lifetime

But Sibella's incredible legacy is the four litters of cubs she produced to ensure cheetahs still bring their guile, speed and beauty to South Africa's Great Karoo region.

Sibella was the first wild cheetah reintroduced to the region in more than than a century when she was released on to the Samara Private Game Reserve near Graaff-Reinet in December 2003.

That chapter of her life began after she had almost been killed by hunters. Set upon by dogs that tore the flesh from her hind legs, she was savagely beaten and locked in a cage.

As she hovered at death's door, Sibella was fortunately rescued by the De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Trust. Five hours of surgery and rehabilitation meant she was ready again for the wild.

Cheetah Hunt

Fri, October 11, 2013

THESE extraordinary images show two cheetahs in the heat of the hunt in Tanzania. Wildlife photographer Pia Dierickx captured the cheetahs teaming up to bring down a wildebeest. The shots show the incredible power and athleticism of the cheetahs, as they lock-on to the stricken creature with their razor sharp claws and teeth. However, their triumph did not last long - as the final picture in the series shows, they were quickly dispossessed of the carcass by a pack of hyenas.

Rearing an astonishing 20 cubs in four litters since her release proves she has been an exemplary mother, giving birth on steep mountain slopes to avoid potential predators and eating only after her young have had their fill

Sarah Tompkins, director of Samara Private Game Reserve

As Sarah Tompkins, director of the Samara Private Game Reserve, explains: "Since then, she has surpassed all expectations, outliving most cheetah in the wild. She has proved herself to be a capable hunter despite her previous injuries.

"Rearing an astonishing 20 cubs in four litters since her release proves she has been an exemplary mother, giving birth on steep mountain slopes to avoid potential predators and eating only after her young have had their fill.

"The unspoken bond she shared with the humans in her new home was extraordinary - with the birth of each new litter, when the cubs were old enough to leave their den, this wild cat dutifully presented to her human guardians her latest bundles of fur.

SAMARA

Sibella watches over one of her cubs

"The degree of trust she vested in human beings, walking to within just a few metres of them, was simply astounding, her past suffering at the hands of her tormentors all but forgotten.

"Sibella's story, from tortured to treasured, is symbolic of the change in mindset required to conserve our planet's biodiversity.

"We mourn her loss but seek comfort in knowing that she lived and died in a wild environment. We feel incredibly privileged to have been witness to the life of this exceptional cat."